It's Only Beginning
by Summer V
Summary: How would Eric and Sookie's relationship progressed without Bill in the way? This is my take on Sookie's life, minus Bill idiocy, starting from Dead Until Dark and continuing through the series. You may find some shocking twists inside. BE WARNED!
1. Chapter 1

**It's Only Beginning**

**A/N**: All rights belong to the beautifully talented Charlaine Harris. I'm only playing with the characters she created.

Alright y'all, I'm super nervous about this fanfic… it's the first one I've written for the Sookie Stackhouse's… so take it easy on me. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

I'd had a hard day today. In between busily shuffling around Merlotte's slinging drinks to the regular rowdy bunch, including Jason's impatient work crew (because he for some reason unknown to me, believes that there are sibling rights involved in being served at the bar I work in) in my new, off the sales rack, un-broken-in tennis shoes from Wal-Mart, and attempting to keep my mental shields up at full mast, I'd been hard pressed not to just throw my tray down and call it quits before my shift ended.

All that, not to mention a passing through trucker named Mackie gettin handsy with my rear end did nothing for my already stressed mood. Although, Jason quickly put him to rights; right out the door with a sprained elbow I might add. At least I can thank him for physical protection. Lord knows I need it most times in the lewd crowds we get.

My boss nearly had a conniption at the instance of Mackie puttin moves on me; I could feel the shift of anger and wrath in the tangled mess of his red-tenured thoughts. Of course I could never get a full mental read on Sam Merlotte because his thoughts were consistent scrambled goo to my thought radar. Whereas other people would have either a fine stream of thin mental images or thinkin, it's like his mind is underwater and I can't hear nothin' clearly from him. Not that I mind, cause I'm only too sure I'd not wanna know what was goin' on in his kind head anyway. I've always known Sam held a soft place in his heart for me, and I certainly don't want to bruise that softness with no return of the sentiment. So I let it hang that he has feelings for me. I don't need another thing to deal with now anyhow.

After finally driving home to my comfortable old house, I rested my head against the steering wheel a moment to gather myself together before heading up onto the porch and through the front door. Normally I don't let the stress get to me this bad, and right then I made a mental note to more actively practice my mental shielding; maybe I just needed a couple days off… I thought about this while greeting Gran and kissing her on her cheek.

"How was work, honey?" She asked me. Mostly only kind words with Gran, and not that she didn't know how to give mine and Jason's hides a good lickin when we stepped out of line when we were kids, but she'd bite her sweet old-fashioned tongue before being in any way rude intentionally.

"Fine, Gran. I'm just tired is all. I think I'll go take a bath." I said to her, hanging up my keys on the hook on the kitchen wall.

"Well alright then. Goodnight Sookie." She said to me before picking up her overturned book from the kitchen table to resume reading.

I stripped off my work clothes quickly, my muscles aching at the movement, eager to relax in my claw-foot bathtub. I squirted some of the vanilla and honey bath gel bubble stuff my coworker Arlene had bought me for Christmas into the water, before checking the temperature and slipping in.

Not often did I gift myself a real bath soaking, what with work, errands, and my regular daily chores to attend to. But now I relished the hot water seeping into my pours and wringing out my sore muscles to jelly.

Even in the calm trance, my mind still did some meddling of its own, and I began to think about the whirlwind of craziness that surrounded the recently introduced real-life vampires, "coming out of the coffin." Who knew that Buffy held some truth? Now my Gran had raised me faith-based, open minded, and accepting of all kinds of people so I didn't hold any kind of disdain towards them; but boy did some of the Christian folks who came into Merlotte's have some awful nasty thoughts about them. Ever since their coming out, I'd be lyin if I said I wasn't fascinated by the concept. I had "heard" some pretty eccentric things about them while on my barmaid duties. Like how vampires have an insatiable sex-drive (that was gathered from women who read those gossip magazines). I didn't want to wonder too much about how the writer found out about that, but being that I am twenty-five years strong with untainted pure-as-snow virtue, not by choice, I probably couldn't fathom it too well anyway. It sure would be interesting to meet a vampire, though.

After allowing myself to drift off into simple thoughts and relaxation for a good ten minutes I grabbed my razor off of its little holder and did a leisurely review of my underarms and tan legs, mindful that it's still Summertime and in Louisiana that means hot. And I'd be damned if I let the sunny weather go to waste without gettin out in my tanning chair to take advantage for as long as possible, preferably with non-prickly legs. Not that I had close neighbors to see, but a lady still wants to feel nice.

Fully satisfied with my bubble bath indulgence, I dried off with a fluffy crème colored towel, brushed out my healthy blonde hair, and slipped on a comfortable cotton nightgown and crawling into my bed. I was awake just long enough to finish my prayers before sleep consumed me.

**A/N**: Please review if you like what you see. &Fear not! Eric in all his glory is coming. I'm trying to focus on shorter chapters to begin with, that way you won't be waiting too long.


	2. Chapter 2

**It's Only Beginning**

**A/N**: I'm completely overwhelmed by the number of alerts I received from you lovely readers! Thank you bunches for your support! There's nothing like knowing people truly enjoy the work you create.

Now just as a warning, I am going to take some liberties in straying off the beaten path of how Dead Until Dark progresses, but for the most part I'll stick to main idea. K?

Shout out to VAlady for pointing out some silly mistakes on my part(:

I own none of these characters… all credit goes to Charlaine Harris… and I suppose Alan Ball, HBO, and that whole crew too.

**Chapter 2**

Working a double and murder mysteries do not fare well together for telepathic barmaids.

Shoot Sookie, you might as well have spat on her grave. I said a silently prayer of apology. It's not like me to dishonor the dead. Lord knows Maudette Pickens was a sweetie in high school… although she did turn a bit sour afterwards. I'd never hold a thing against her, especially considering that she was murdered last night.

Thinking back to when Jason had come by the house last night… Unannounced as usual, I didn't have to read his mind to see the anxiety rolling through him in waves. Naturally, I prodded him for answers. I gently picked at him, hoping he would just let up and share what was troubling him, but since I figured after fifteen minutes of nervous babble that wasn't gonna be happenin, and so I plunged into his thoughts real quick and jumped out just as quickly. Like diving in a freezing cold pool, I wanted to be outta there the second my head went under water.

Jason's mind was scrambling for answers.

In the span of five seconds, I gathered that he was torturously wracking his memory to figure out if he really was the one who had murdered Maudette. More than heaps of guilt and fear and ultimate confusion. I caught a quick flash of their rough sex. EW. Lord spare me. And then her limp body after they both finished.

I hadn't the slightest that Maudette was dead to begin with, and so in shock, I simply gaped at him like a fish.

Real smart Sookie. Your brother is looking for consolation and you're already convicting him of a crime no one knows if he even committed. I forced myself to face the facts, after getting over the murder in itself, which is no light thing, and attempted to gather myself together at least for his sake.

It took me less than a minute to process this, and Jason had missed my whole revelation because he was lookin at my kitchen floor like he thought it would swallow him whole and chew him to pieces.

Arranging my practiced smile and careful composure, from years of experience, I stood up from the table and placed my hand tentatively on his shoulder.

"I don't want you gettin upset, alright?" I said calmly. Jason just looked at me expectantly, furrowing his brow.

"I wasn't fishin around in there or nothing, but you were practically overflowing with your thoughts that it was hard to keep 'em out," I continued. Okay maybe that was a small lie, but I'm helping him in the long run so I could get over it, and so could he. Well not get over the lie, cause he didn't know I was lyin, but the lie that he thought was the truth. Focus Sookie!

Now Jason's face was set into a firm frown.

"What are you goin on about Sook," he answered me plainly.

"Now don't you lie to me Jason Stackhouse. I may not be the brightest bulb in the box but I know my brother and you should know me well enough to trust me!"

He wasn't expecting my short outburst, but I guess it did the trick because he dropped the pretenses, physically at first.

If I thought he looked miserable before, that vision increased tenfold. His shoulders sagged and I could have sworn the wrinkles around his worried eyes aged him ten years. He was hurtin something awful. And I just wanted the truth, comfort could come later. I looked at him expectantly. I didn't need to spell out his admission for him.

This wasn't his finest hour, and I knew he was a cocky bastard most times, so I let him stutter out his case.

"I don't know what to do, Sookie. I'd never tried to hurt her I swear! She had those fanger bites on her neck and inner thighs though, so I can't help wondering… But afterwards, she was layin there all lifeless like… and the only thing I could think of was to get up and outta there." His voice fluctuated like one might on a rollercoaster, up and down, shouting all the way.

"Jason, honey, why didn't you just call the police if you didn't do anything?"

"Because I don't know if I killed her! I don't know what I did! I sure hope to Jesus it was a vampire. Oh God it's only a matter of time until they find out I was the last one to see her. Every time I think back to it the memories just get foggier and I can't remember what really happened," He wailed at me.

"I am fucked Sook." He tacked this on, almost as an afterthought, concluding his speech.

Now he's just letting the stress get to him. He isn't arrested yet. This certainly was not the time for him to lose a grip on what was reality and what was not.

Twenty minutes later of partial scolding for him to take a breath and stop whining, I finally convinced him to have a glass of iced tea and see himself home, after promising to help him in any way I could. Which I would have already done without the promise.

I made him swear to keep his mouth shut about it and if he got questioned by the police to tell the story as he remembered it. No point in lying if we didn't really have the whole truth.

His point about Maudette having vampire bites on her did arouse my suspicion, however. And although I have no personal problem with them, when it comes to my brother possibly getting accused of murder, there'd be a sweet cool breeze in hell before I didn't look into every possible answer. One of those answers now was that a vampire could have killed Maudette Pickens.

Back to reality.

Working a double and the tragic and unfortunate murder mystery of Maudette Pickens do not fare well together for telepathic barmaids

I'm truly tryin to think nicer. Even if Maudette was what they call those fangbanger chicks, I would choose to remember her as a senior at Bon Temps High, with a sweet smile and a kind word in Chemistry class.

I picked up yet another basket of chicken, stuck the sauce container in between the steaming meat, and made my way through the crowd. Nearly tripping over my own feet as I rounded the corner, I could hardly maintain the head on my shoulders with the onslaught of thoughts.

_I guess Crazy Sookie's brother is just as nuts as she is… I wonder if she helped him do it…_

_Look at that bitch, acting like all the world is fine when her brother murdered a woman last night in cold blood…_

_All the Stackhouse's are off the rocker…_

_Maybe she is a fuckin psycho but I'd love to handle those sweet titties…_

_Poor Adele Stackhouse raised homicidal children…_

My teeth ground together audibly, as my nervous smile nearly split my face.

"Here's your tenders," I delivered the chicken to its recipient, "would you like a refill of diet coke?"

_Anything to get you the fuck away from me, freak._

"Sure."

By now I fear my smile will become a permanent feature on my face. My cheeks were starting to hurt and I was wondering how much longer I'd last.

"I'll be right back with that," I said with sugary sweetness.

I was about to return with the replenished diet coke, when Sam's arm shot out and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the direct contact.

"I'll take it Cher. Go to my office." He looked me directly in my eyes when he spoke and I knew it was fruitless to argue.

I didn't bother to close Sam's office door, but rather strode in and paced like a nervous hen until he returned. He closed the door, of course, walking close and wrapping me in a warm hug. I was surprised but hugged him back, feeling his warmth to seep into me.

I allowed my mind to reach out to his and become enveloped in the mushy unidentified river of emotion. It was an instant relief from the petulant thoughts of my bar patrons. I wasn't sure how long he held me, but it felt good, and my brain was slowly relaxing to its normal pace. The more I sunk into his simple mind the more I sunk into the nothingness.

It was blissful. Hardly ever could I enjoy moments of just being alone with my thoughts. No buzzing in the background… No thoughts at all except my own.

No thoughts at all except my own?

My neck snapped up and I darted my eyes around Sam's small office nervously. It was like I had tuned into nothingness. My mind was swimming through a gentle stream, with nothing polluting it for once.

What was happening?

Sam pulled back cautiously, examining me with a wary eye. He'd think I was nuts for sure now.

"Sookie are– " He began but I couldn't let him finish.

I put my hand up quickly to silence him, and spoke low.

"Sam Merlotte don't you say a word. I'll be back in one minute."

He quirked an eyebrow and me and I couldn't blame him for his incredulous expression. I didn't know what was going on either.

I stepped slowly out of this office and walked silently down the short hall to the bar. It felt as though my brain was effortlessly drifting down the stream as the water slipped smoothly over sticks and stones, nothing interrupting its path.

Glancing around the room, I don't know if my brilliant investigation included a neon sign flashing ANSWER HERE, but I wasn't seeing one anywhere.

Just as I was pressing down on the ball of my foot to turn back and explain to Sam, I caught an image out of the corner of my eye.

My emotions turned from fright and concern to awe and wonder lickity split. As sure as I knew my own name, I knew that the calming blankness of my minds natural radar was caused from him.

And I knew that our little local bar, Merlotte's, had gotten its first vampire.

**A/N**: I want to apologize, I had been planning on getting this chapter a lot farther, but as I said before, it will be easier for them to be shorter so I can send them out quicker. I'm hoping you'll forgive me anyway since I got this out only a day after the first chapter(: Please have patience as the plot will unravel within the next two chapters. I promise Eric is still coming!

Now you'll have to sit and wonder which vampire is the first to visit Merlotte's? ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**It's Only Beginning**

**A/N**: So were any of you guessing which vampire Sookie will meet first? I think most of you will be surprised ;)

Forgive me for the wait!

Again and again I blow kisses to my readers for their already faithful following (: I truly appreciate every alert and review. Thank you for your support!

A big HUGE heap of thanks to my beta Kelly! She rocks my socks off! & I went in afterwards to add a few things, so any mistakes are all mine.

Charlaine Harris is the boss. I'm only a wannabe.

**Chapter 3**

The first thing I noticed was his height, even sitting down his head towered above the other customers in the room. The perfect shade of golden hair, just brushing his shoulders, framing his masculine face perfectly as he tilted his head fractionally to the side. It was majestic looking against the smooth pallor of his white skin. He wore a simple and modern looking leather jacket over a plain black V-neck t-shirt, and dark washed jeans. The clothes looked very expensive.

His eyes were a searing glacier blue, like ice on fire. Their stare was superior and you could almost see how he was observing every single detail around him without his gaze straying even a little. There was a posture to his mouth and perfectly sculpted eyebrows that demanded respect.

Beautiful. That was the first word that came to mind as I tried not to choke on my attraction.

Why on earth was he here?

I wondered if all vampires were such jaw-dropping alluring creatures.

I thought I might spontaneously combust with joy from the peaceful thought-free mind paired with a stunning blonde vampire sitting in my section.

In my section.

How long had I been staring?

Not long enough for anyone's thoughts to be about me; that's for sure. I knew without even touching their brains that every pair of eyes in Merlotte's was trained on him.

He seemed not to notice though, or maybe he didn't care.

As I regained control over my motor functions, I walked over to his table, as cool and collected as Sookie Stackhouse ever was, meeting her first vampire.

Her first _two _vampires.

Apparently, I'd been so enveloped in every detail of the blonde vampire's appearance that I had failed to notice his companion.

A much shorter male vampire was sitting at the table with him. His back was to me but I could see his thick, brown, closely cropped hair. From my angle, he seemed to have a slight scowl on his undead face.

Just then, the blonde vampire's gaze flickered from his companion to me and back again just once, before seeming to studiously ignore me. Or maybe that was just my insecurity flaring up.

Insecurity? Was I trying to impress the vampire?

Before I could reach their table, which seemed to be taking eons, Sam filled up my vision with an auburn-haired and hard-faced flurry.

He placed his hand firmly on my elbow and led me backwards towards the bar.

"Uh, Sam? Are you paying me to walk away from the tables now?" I asked him jokingly. My voice was just a tad too high for normalcy.

"Maybe I should take this one, Sookie." He responded, sharply.

"Just because I grew up in a small town and don't have a college education does not mean that I am incapable of serving vampires. Do not treat me like a little girl, Sam. I can take care of myself." I bit back defiantly.

Perhaps that was a little too aggressive. But hey, I was excited!

"Besides, I've never met one before! And I am sure not gonna let you ruin my first experience. These are Merlotte's first! You should feel honored, or something…" I faltered there, wondering if my unfamiliarity with vampires would make me all the more ridiculous sounding. "Now get out of the way and let me do my job!"

I knew my eyes were simply dancing with delight at the prospect, but his eyes just narrowed as he moved from my side to the back of the bar, still looking at me intently. I wonder what bit him in the ass. Maybe he was one of them folks that are against vampires and whatnot. That seemed unlikely, though. I liked to think that I knew Sam well enough to know that he wasn't a prejudicing type of man. At least he had never revealed that kind of behavior to me before.

Quickly shaking off Sam's strange temper, I once again treaded across the wood floor over to the two vampires.

When I reached their table, I was immediately intimidated by the blonde god. However, I was strangely more uneasy about the brunette. I suppose I should have been very wary about the both of them… but there was something dark and suspicious about the way the brown-haired one looked at me…. Not like the other one wasn't all sketchy and blue seductive eyes.

"Hi, can I get your orders?" I was probably talkin' a little too brightly, but I couldn't help myself.

Speakin' of those very blue, very seductive eyes, it was kinda nice how, he was lookin' at me like he was interested, (though maybe that was cause I was super nervous and skittish) and he very pointedly looked me in the eyes… completely ignoring the assets my customers are usually enthralled with and drunkenly commenting on.

His cool gaze penetrated me like he was ready to take a bite out of me. Maybe he did feel that way… I shuddered outwardly and did a little awkward hop back on my feet to try and cover it up. It must not have slipped passed him though because he openly chuckled, and still kept looking right at me too! How rude!

But then again, even with his bad manners, his laugh caused nervous butterflies to flutter in my stomach for a moment.

I'd be willing to bet that he made every single person he'd ever laughed at feel nervous.

The brunette was still eyeing me speculatively, then glanced nonchalantly back at his friend, and said to me,

"I'll have a bottle of O Negative, Eric?"

Oh, so Mr. Eyes and Mockery had a name after all.

Instead of giving me his order, Eric looked back at the other vampire with a reprimanding glare. Was that because he had wanted to introduce himself? His expression was one that exerted authority and I wondered what the relationship was between the two vampires.

"I still do not see why I drove from Shreveport for _this_, Compton," gesturing to the general vicinity of the bar while saying "this." Eric's voice was deep, commanding, and very, very confident. He knew his words would be listened to.

Well _that_ comment was insulting; even if he wasn't particularly talking about me…It was insulting to Merlotte's. A jab like that I took personally.

"We could have easily discussed the matters at Fangtasia," his sentence ended with an invisible question mark; although, he still said it as if he were speaking a statement not a question.

Then all of the sudden I was bombarded with Dawn's brainwave frequency, blasting through the wall of beautiful silence like a train at full speed. I mentally jumped up and dashed to my thought barriers, reinforcing them so I wouldn't get the rest of the room in my head too. I could not deal with that right now, especially when I was just getting used to the mesmerizing silence.

Unable to conceal my slight physical reaction from her intrusion, I stepped back a little (for the second time while with the vampires) in surprise.

While I was still moving, both vampires flicked their eyes to me. Boy their senses must be real keen. Before I had even regained my footing, they were staring at me like I was the only human in a vampire bar rather than the other way around.

I felt a not so subtle blush rise up on my cheeks, wishing like Jason had in my kitchen earlier, that the floor of Merlotte's could swallow me up.

Then I felt Dawn's hips deliberately swinging by me. Her body brushed past me while as her thoughts brushed my mind.

_Fangtasia? Oh my God, is that Eric?_

Apparently I wasn't the only one who was overhearing the vampires' conversation…

_Don't stare. What in the hell is he doing here? At the bar I work at!_

_Oh shit, don't trip._

_Chest out. Give him a show girls._

I wrinkled my nose at Dawn's obvious display of sexual attention-whoring. Not that Eric or Compton noticed her anyway. The both of them were still lookin' at me expectantly, as if I was about to put on a show. Maybe I already had? Lord knows the humans here think I'm the best freak show around. And vampires probably always thought of humans as entertainment anyway.

Just when I thought I was done with Dawn's mental overtness, I received at least ten different visuals of what I could only assume to be Fangtasia; since that was the only thing she was thinking about, other than Eric, and many unrepeatable sexual terms. Ew. Dawn needed to evaluate her level of self-respect, if you asked me.

I saw a black and red themed bar, with very strange looking clientele. It was almost as if I was experiencing the memories with my own eyes. There seemed to be many vampires there, considering all the fangs, and a lot of desperate looking "fangbangers" as well. I couldn't spot a single person not wearing black, even if there was hardly any "wearing" involved at all, ugh. The images flew by so quickly it was hard to differentiate anything other than a swirl of dark colors and blood. Fake makeup blood, bottled blood, blood painted on the walls. Jeez.

Well it's good to know that Fangtasia is keeping to the traditional sinister look for the vampire bar.

There was one distinct picture that kept on repeating itself, vividly, inside my mind.

It was of the very blonde vampire in front of me… except he wasn't sitting on any ordinary wooden chair like the ones available at Merlotte's. He was casually lounging on a throne. A golden _throne_. Have I mentioned he was on a throne? Was this _normal_ procedure for vampires?

He was keeping a careful eye on the crowd, and looking positively wicked (in a sexy way?) while doing so.

I gathered that he probably owned the place, judging from this very strange behavior. Unless he was seriously worshipped by whoever did own it. Somehow, I thought that he would be worshipped either way.

Pulling myself together, I snatched back the silent barrier like a blanket and pulling it over my mental head.

Good Lord! It had been less than three minutes ago when I first walked up to these daunting guests.

I needed to get my usual game face on.

"Sophie-Anne's work requires me to stay close to my working location." Compton answered Eric quickly, without looking away from me (creepy!), and then hand gesturing back to me.

And that's when it finally struck me that Eric still had not placed his order, and I should be thoroughly irritated that he continued to disrespectfully neglect to.

"Yes, about that work…" Eric began coolly, just as I stamped my foot down and gave an expectant AHEM.

Well I sure as heck was not going to stand there all night and wait for his order. I had tables to attend to.

Then he raised two blonde eyebrows and had the gall to laugh at me again!

I was gathering my grit to give him an earful of my current attitude when, luckily for him, he spoke up.

"A True Blood," he said, clearly entertained at my irritation.

Right when I was about to spit out, "What flavor?" he spoke again.

"Surprise me," with a wink.

Well what in the hell!

I gathered my good Southern waitress manners and strode away from their table baffled, but not before

I saw Compton roll his eyes at Eric. Was that for the wink?

What the hell is wrong with vampires?

Attempting to contain my annoyance and curiosity with the whole thing, I dashed to my waiting tables, replenishing ketchup, bringing fries and pickles, refilling drinks, keeping my hands and my head busy.

I only checked on their table once, and from what I heard and what I saw on their faces I decided to leave them alone.

I approached their table and very politely asked if there was anything else. That is when I overheard Compton saying "… Across the cemetery". He then looked up at me crossly. Eric ignored me.

_I_lived across from the cemetery, and _I_was the only person who did unless someone moved into the old Compton house…

Oh no. No. Absolutely no way. Please sweet Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judah, don't let this be some descendant (or ancestor?) of old Jesse Compton. He had left the house vacant when he died, and I had never given any thought to someone else taking up residence there.

After my recent interactions, I did not want to be across the town, let alone across the cemetery from this "Compton" fellow.

You can be sure I skittered away after that. Eric's face was stony and entirely impassive so I didn't think he would have any more snide remarks for me.

Jane Bodehouse yelled out to me for another beer, Andy Bellefleur was complaining about his burger even though he continued to order the same one every week, and LaFayette was singing in the kitchen.

Successful distractions! I became fully occupied with them, immersing myself into my job as much as humanly possible, for a barmaid, in a small town, with the same customers every night. Except, I had two new customers tonight. NO! I am doing my job. I am NOT gonna think about them.

I, unintentionally, traveled my train of thought with my eyes and noticed that their table was in fact in need of my job. I scurried over to produce the check.

Eric handed me a shiny black credit card, with a bored look on his face, not looking at me.

I rang up his transaction at the cash register as fast as possible.

Upon returning the receipt, Compton stood and began, I guess, speaking into his cell phone? I couldn't hear a word he said but his lips were moving constantly in a small movement. He strode out without a second look, and I know the crowd was staring at Eric and me once they finished taking in Compton's exit.

Still holding the receipt in my feeble hands, I reached my arm out further to hand it to him. But he didn't grace me with accepting it. Instead, he stood. And I was amazed in a whole new way at how tall he was in front of me.

Eric must have noticed my reaction too, because he allowed a little smirk to creep at the edge of his perfect mouth before reverting back to the cold expression he was wearing before. He stepped closer to me, ignoring my hand, and forcing me to bring my arm down to make space for him.

"What is your name?" Eric said as calm as could be.

A far cry from _my_ emotions which were in shambles.

"Sookie… Sookie Stackhouse," I managed to utter, feeling stupid.

I thought it would be hard to concentrate when speaking to him, but it was surprisingly easy.

His eyes were especially captivating, though. It was all I could do to stop myself from leaning in as close as possible and gazing into the glittering blue flecks.

"Sookie…" He repeated to me, saying my name slowly on his tongue, like you would when tasting a new exotic food.

He implored me with those eyes, but for what I didn't know. My confusion only furthered when _he_ leaned closer and gave me a perplexed look.

Now _Eric_was looking perplexed? At _me_?

I looked back at him dumbly.

Immediately setting his facial features into resolve, he said lowly, "I do hope you make the trip to Shreveport soon."

Was that an invitation to Fangtasia?

That was all I got from his interesting self before he walked out the door.

What an odd way to publicize your bar.

What an even odder thing to say to your waitress, who you scrutinized and perpetually ignored the whole time!

All that, and I still had the damn receipt in my hand.

_Aw hell_, I thought before crumpling it as small as possible and throwing it into the trash can.

On my way to serve an elderly couple (who refused to drink their water cause there was too much ice…), I saw my tip laying on the vampire table. Oh no, I'll probably never be able to look at that table the same again. I sighed.

I'd thought it was a ten dollar bill, which isn't too bad considering I didn't even know if vampires tipped at all to begin with. But, I was wrong. At closer inspection, next to the mustard, it was a crisp hundred dollar bill that awaited me.

Good Lord!

Eric must be rollin' in it!

Why on earth would he be so generous with me?

Despite the bizarre nature of the two customers who previously occupied the (vampire) table, I picked up my tip with a smile on my face; thinking of the kitchen repairs I could catch up on with this sweet little bonus.

Even if he had acted very strange the entire time, a vampire had successfully breached my highest tipper scoreboard. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

I needed a long shower and probably a quick slap in the face to recover from tonight. To think I thought Merlotte's on New Year's was a crazy shift. Ha.

**A/N: **Thoughts, questions? Reviews rev up my engine ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**It's Only Beginning**

A/N: Your alerts and reviews are the best encouragement. You guys inspire me. Seriously, thank you.

Again, I must beg for your grace since it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I've been in the emergency room twice since the last update :(

However, this is a juicy one and the longest yet so hopefully it's a fair trade ;)

All the glory goes to Charlaine Harris, and the Alan Ball HBO crew; since I will be mixing the two to suit my plot.

Much love to my wonderful beta… my story would be a train wreck without her!

**Chapter 4**

To say that everything has gone back to normal since vampires visited would be a lie, a lie that I have done my very best to make the truth. Unfortunately, that's kinda hard to do.

Especially when Merlotte's customer capacity is at an all-time high, and the only thing these drunks and rubberneckers wanna do is talk about the vampires that I'm trying to forget… Or at least pretend to forget. I firmly established the need to contain that event in the back of my mind, put a lock on it, and only open if necessary. Seriously, who needs vampire drama when I've got all these hicks to deal with?

Let the supernatural deal with the supernatural.

Anyhow, when the greasy townsfolk are not talking about vampires, they're thinking about vampires, and when that fails they're either real religious, or they're livin' in a coffin… err, closet. Gosh dang it! I can't even hang onto a human vocabulary, and you know something's wrong with ya when that happens.

At least I know I've got Sam to watch my back, even if sometimes I think he's watching too closely. From my years of experience with Sam, I know he's got all good intentions. He only wants what's best for me…but a man's gotta know that a woman isn't interested after blatant rebuffing of all obvious attempts. And trust me, his attempts can get pretty dang obvious.

As far as my Merlotte's coworkers go, not surprisingly, Lafayette has been the most tolerant of them all. Lala is practically in lala-land most the time anyway, with his broad-minded opinions that expand far beyond just vampires. Like his wearing of makeup, casual cross-dressing, and a very wide variety of sexual partners. You could say that my eccentric fry cook friend is quite the flamboyant character. But we love him all the same, quirks and all. I honestly couldn't imagine my work place without him.

For instance, the night that Eric and Compton had engrossed the people of Bon Temps so thoroughly, Lafayette simply could not keep his comments to himself.

Sidling up next to me behind the bar, after Eric walked out, he'd said, "mmm girl, you had betta' get a handle on that good, blonde, sex on a stick. Somebody's gotta take advantage of the good Lord's blessings… no matter what form they come in…"

I playfully slapped him on the arm and acted shocked at his comment, but you really can't help but laugh at Lala and his unconventional ways.

He shot me an evil grin and then walked away, but not before performing his signature miniature version of Legally Blonde's "bend, and snap."

Even if my friends are lookin' out for me, and staying light-hearted, most nights it's still hard not to keel over from the brains and the orders combined. Now that the customers minds have more than enough meat to chew on, they don't waste time gettin' to work.

All that bein' said, when Sam finally took notice and gave me an extra day off of work, it was like the heavens had opened up upon me.

I'd already had a list of things to do, building for days, in my head.

I woke up at nine o' clock, well rested and certainly enjoying the benefits from the extra sleep I don't normally get.

Stretching, I got my mind working on my plans for the day, while making my bed and straightening the covers.

I had wanted to catch the morning rays of sun on my tanning lounge chair before it got too hot, but found I couldn't sit still quite yet.

I needed to get some things done before I really relaxed.

Walking into the kitchen, I poured myself a cup of coffee and popped one of Gran's customary breakfast biscuits in my mouth. Gran herself was already out of the house, the busy bee she is, probably scheduling club events or maintaining her many social appointments. At this rate, my Gran was keepin' a more social lifestyle that I was.

Not that I minded much; since big crowds tend to hurt my head–no pun intended.

Keeping busy, I managed to wash the baseboards, clean out the refrigerator, unscrew the knob on one of the cabinets since most needed to be replaced, and make a trip to the hardware store to pick up new ones.

While I was out I also visited the library, taking a gander through the new "vampire section," just out of pure curiosity, but I didn't check out any of those; although, many had some pretty interestin' covers.

Even though I gave in a little to the wonder of the fanged beings, I was still firmly not thinking about vampires. That wasn't denial, right? I just didn't want to dwell on them; them… including my across-the-cemetery neighbor possibilities.

After exchanging some new romance novels, remembering that I needed some product to oil the porch doors that wouldn't quit creaking, I drove back to the hardware store on my way home.

Happily, after my trips and house cleaning, I was still able to lie out on my foldable tanning chair for about an hour before the sun began to retreat. Of course, the thought of sunset had my head turning warily in the direction of the old Compton house. I had better get myself under wraps, it wasn't like some unmasked vampire vigilante was gonna come kidnap me. My first encounter with them had been somewhat baffling.

Gran was getting dropped off by her obnoxious friend Maxine, as I was heading inside.

Maxine waved at me, and I should have known better than to think that was a parting gesture.

She hauled herself out of the small vehicle and tromped over my lawn, appraising my polka dot bikini the whole time.

"Sookie dear, wouldn't you rather cover up a bit? It's not like anyone is gonna be seein' them tan lines."

What's the point if the girl ain't gonna be showin' off to anyone… Not that she should... I wonder if she would uphold no sex before marriage... Still seems like a virgin… At least I haven't heard…

Better not think for one second that the whole town isn't aware of my romantic life, or lack thereof. The haughtiness in the statement was uncalled for, though, not to mention the undercurrent of thoughts.

I maintained the grace that Gran raised me with, in an easy smile.

"It's enough to be comfortable in my own skin. I wouldn't need to show off to anyone anyways… as long as I'm happy with myself."

Gran nodded at me in approval, and tugged critical-eyed Maxine inside.

We had learned a long time ago that I prefer to fight my own battles. I appreciated that Gran respected that, and let me handle these types of situations myself instead of interceding on my behalf.

I was just curling up with my new book when Sam rang.

"Hey Cher, I apologize for asking you on your night off, but would you mind running by Dawn's? She's running an hour late and the house is packed… and you are closer."

I could hear the twinges of regret in his voice, so I wouldn't get mad at him for asking the favor. Besides, I knew what Merlotte's was like when busy. It wouldn't kill me to go get her.

I kissed Gran on the cheek on my way out and began the drive over.

I've never been particularly fond of Dawn, with her usually crude and vulgar personality we didn't exactly make good buddies. But she certainly was a good waitress, and I'd give it to her that she was good to work with.

Pulling next to her car in the driveway, I wondered what in the world would make her an hour late. She didn't make a habit of tardiness, I knew that.

I knocked on the door and waited, then knocked again.

"Dawn! It's Sookie! You in there?"

I knocked harder this time.

"Dawn Greene, I know you're not skipping out on your shift!"

I was starting to get impatient, and I didn't want to call Sam empty handed, so I walked around the side of her house and peered into her bedroom window since the curtains in the living room were drawn.

The view from where I stood was not a pretty sight.

Dawn Greene was dead, of that I was sure.

I couldn't bear to look at her open eyes and the dark bruises on her neck any longer than I had to.

I called 911 immediately, forcing myself not to heave.

With a hand against the side of the house, I breathed through my nose, telling Officer Kendra that Dawn was dead.

"…she's lying face up on her bed, the sheets are tangled around her legs, and her eyes are open towards the ceiling…"

After ending the call I sorta slouched onto the grass. The green blades were prickly against my smooth skin, but I couldn't really feel it. There was a dead body on the other side of the wall I was leaning against. The dead body of a woman I've known and worked with for years.

Why?

Then my phone rang.

"I don't mean to be a bother Sookie, but do you know where Dawn is at?" Sam asked me.

"Dawn isn't coming to work, Sam." I responded somewhat monotone.

"Why? What's wrong? Sookie, are you okay?" I could hear the interest and concern coming through the speaker.

I didn't have the willpower to reciprocate, though.

"Dawn is dead," I whispered.

"WHAT? Are you at her house, Sookie?"

"Yeah."

"I'm on my way. Do you want to stay on the phone with me?"

"No."

The sun was already well down and I knew I should probably go back to my car, but I was having a hard time locating my limbs to move them.

So I stayed sitting in between the closely-knit houses that made up the small neighborhood, until Kendra arrived and pulled me to my feet.

She was a no nonsense kind of woman, figures she'd become a police officer.

I liked her bluntness when questioning me; it didn't allow me to get emotional.

Lord knows she didn't.

After looking through the window, she radioed detective Andy Bellefleur, and walked me to my car where I waited next to the hood.

Andy arrived and continued with more extensive questioning. I answered him straight. I was happy that he wasn't thinking about what he so thoughtfully termed as my "rack," for once in his life.

Sam pulled up at the same time as Mike Spencer, our parish coroner and medical examiner. Mike disappeared into the house with Kendra, and Sam rushed over to me.

"How you holdin' up, Cher?"

He hugged me close and I let him.

"I'm fine. Just trying to get over the shock, I guess."

Pulling back, he looked me over to confirm my statement, and once he was satisfied he quickly went over to converse with Andy.

Sam walked back to me and put a comforting arm around my shoulder.

He said, "I gotta stay for awhile, since I'm Dawn's boss and landlord."

Hmm. I didn't know Sam owned any property.

"Alright," I maneuvered out of the friendly embrace, "I'm fine to drive home. Andy said I could leave."

"You sure?" He eyed me warily.

"Yeah… I'm sure Sam." I really didn't want to be coddled now. "In fact, it would be really great if I could work tonight, to keep my mind off things. You're already short a waitress."

"Do you really think it's a good idea right now, Sookie?" He didn't sound convinced, but I didn't really care.

I needed to stay occupied.

"I'm going to work, Sam." I stated firmly.

Apparently that got the point across.

"Alright."

Praise Jesus, Sam hadn't said a word to anyone before he left, so I didn't have to deal with anything else other than the usual racket about vampires. And considering my night so far, I didn't really give a damn at the moment.

No one questioned the absence of my Crazy Sookie smile. Most chalked it up to a bad mood. That was fine by me. I could stay busy, hold the down the fort, and go home without any post-traumatic stress incidents. Not that I was prone to those, but it's not every day you find your coworker dead.

Of course while my plan was going along just smoothly, Vampire Bill had to walk through the front doors of Merlotte's.

Alas, he didn't bring along the beautiful blonde this time. Good. I didn't have time for his patronizing attitude tonight.

Even though, in spite of myself, I was a little irritated at the fact that I really did want a reason to see that beautiful, tall, dead man again… even if that didn't make sense.

Aside from taking his order for a True Blood, I successfully ignored him and carried on with my night as planned. I was damn proud of myself.

I was already doing such a good job not noticing the flurry of minds around me, the commotion his presence caused didn't really affect me.

I was dropping off his check, when he said,

"Where are your restrooms located?"

He asked somewhat politely, which was weird.

Actually, I thought the whole question in general was weird…. Merlotte's was a comfortable but simple bar, and it is very obvious that the only place possible for there to be restrooms is right down the hallway. Not to mention, what use would he have for a bathroom anyhow? Oh whatever, maybe I didn't want to know the answer.

Still, I knew I needed to answer the vampire, no matter how impudent he was.

"It's just down that hall and to the right," I answered him calmly.

After disappearing down the hall for a short minute, I saw his figure pass through Merlotte's entrance doors, and I felt a sense of relief now that I knew he wasn't there to hover over my every move.

I didn't need the extra anxiety of vampire eyes following me anyhow, and I'd like to say that I am handling my coworkers death quite well as it is.

Eventually the night wore on, and the new bus boy got a fit of nausea from the flu he was trying to fight off, so that only meant more work for me. The trash cans were overflowing and I knew Sam hated that, it made the bar look, no pun intended, "trashy". Normally Lafayette would assume this job, whenever anyone else was too busy, and now I considered myself too busy. I glanced into the kitchen to give him a pointed look about it, but he was nowhere to be found.

Finally realizing that it had to be emptied one way or another, I hauled two large trash bags out the back door and into the dumpster.

I wondered where Lala had snuck off to… he hardly ever slacked on the job, and was all around one of the best employees at Merlotte's.

Speaking of slacking on the job… my orders were getting backed up, and he still hadn't reappeared.

I was in between serving a bourbon and coke and a Philly cheese sandwich, when I caught Sam behind the bar.

"Where in the dickens is Lafayette?" I asked rather impatiently.

"I don't got a clue, Cher. You finish these shots for me? I oughta go back and pick up if nobody else is gonna be cooking."

Honestly, I always admired Sam for his fair treatment of the employees, and his calm temperament while working with the Bon Temp's late night bunch. But tonight I wasn't in the mood for his calm. I couldn't run the whole damn bar and Lafayette had a job to do too.

Now irritated, I hurriedly poured the shots, and huffed off to my waiting tables

No doubt my feet are gonna be sore tonight.

What a day!

The more stressed out I got, the more I could feel the control of my mental shields slipping. I knew it would be all too soon before I would need a serious break from all the thought rampage, in addition to my heavy workload.

I suppose it was my own anxiety over Dawn, Lafayette missing, and the day as a whole, that led to what happened next.

My mental shield dropped completely, just as some redneck from the nearby trailer park was asking for his third plate of pickles.

The first thing that my strange brain frequencies picked up was an urgent and terrified thought pattern.

It was Lafayette. He was steaming mad and scared as a cat underwater.

Immediately, I registered that he was in a car not far from Merlotte's back entrance, from a quick mental image. I also noticed that he was chained, and with three vampires, fangs down.

All this for the V? I'll fuckin' live in a hole for the rest of my life God, Buddha, high priest, whatever the fuck can get me away from these fuckin' fanged demons… I swear to God I hadda ever known they would be this pissed off… oh shit my head is bleeding now... I hope they don't fuckin' bite me, that's gonna hurt like a bitch! Nobody is gonna see me from this angle in the car… Where are they gonna take me? Oh fuck fuck fuck!

Oh Sweet Jesus.

Gathering the best of my thought tracking abilities, I threw down my tray and ran into Merlotte's parking lot.

I was only soon enough to see the taillights of an old maroon sedan driving away.

I knew there was no time to get Sam from storage room where he was restocking, so I knew the only option was immediate pursuit.

I ran to my little old car and stepped on the gas pedal with only one thought on my mind: I have to save Lafayette!

As the area between the two vehicles had widened marginally, I could feel myself losing a grasp on Lafayette's brain, and knowing that was the only way I could locate them, I floored it.

Eventually, I was able to follow his brainwaves about a mile or so behind.

I fervently prayed to Jesus that wherever the five of us were going, that Lala would not be seriously hurt and I could help him as soon as possible.

After about ten minutes of driving, I was still able to keep a steady target on their movement, and my adrenaline was lowering a couple notches.

And then I started to think.

The thinking brought me up short, because I had no plan… Well the plan was to save Lala, but there was no plan for that.

Gran's words about the story of the Good Samaritan oddly drifted into my mind at that moment. I realized that even though his kindness was a random action, he still must have had an idea of how to help the poor beaten up man, before he did it.

I knew Gran would always be proud of me for trying to help someone in need, but not particularly fond of the idea that I did it blindly and completely unprepared.

Okay, so maybe this is dangerous… maybe this is really really dangerous.

I'm driving to who knows where, with no means of protection, alone, to three clearly angry vampires, to save Lafayette who is obviously incapable of aiding me in his escape.

Just as I was about to think up a pleading and forgiveness speech, I neared to their car, because they were pulling up a short dirt road up to a small house. The house had an uneven roof and dark brown shudders that boarded the windows. Other than a small mat on the small concrete porch before the front door, the property looked nearly uninhabited.

I absently wondered if that's the effect that vampires have everywhere… no sense of life.

Carefully slow, I stopped before driving right up onto their driveway. Thankfully, I had forgotten to turn my lights on when I was in such a rush before, so now I didn't have to worry about them seeing me. I cut the engine and left my keys hanging in the ignition, palms sweaty.

When I opened my door I could immediately hear Lafayette wailing, even though he hadn't exited their vehicle yet. He was begging for them to let him go, saying that he'd do anything, that he'd give all the blood back.

I couldn't believe that he had gotten mixed up in dealing V, or anything like that really. And it was obvious that it's seriously bad business. But I still didn't think that he deserved to be tortured for it.

Even with all of my planned thinking about planned thinking, I was about run up to them and wing it when I received my weapon.

Two things happened at once.

A tall black woman with heels high enough to give me a nosebleed, dressed in the shortest black leather skirt I'd ever seen, and a sheer dressy shirt that was clearly made in a children's size, stepped gracefully out of the passenger's seat and turned around opening the rear door where Lafayette was stored, faster than I could blink. Her fangs were down and she looked murderous. As she dragged him out and practically threw him to the ground, I winced.

Then, almost simultaneously, I heard thoughts from another human I wasn't aware of before.

A man from inside the house was anxious about the impending evening. He was the three vampires feed and fuck buddy. He wasn't exactly afraid, more like excited to get a slightly bothersome night over with.

He wouldn't stop thinking about how, even though it was nasty and repulsive, the vampires would suck down Sino-Aids right along with his A positive blood.

I realized quickly that this was apparently very bad for them, and it was exactly the kind of ammunition that I needed.

The other two male vampires exited the car. A tall, burly, bald man wearing biker jeans and a casual t-shirt, and an even taller, and much thinner man clad in what appeared to be Italian designer clothes. Well, they definitely looked Italian, and so did he; with his just past shoulder length black hair slicked into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and prominent nose. There was a dark glow to his eyes that made me shudder. He had the air of the leader of the group.

"Malcolm, outside or inside?" The female addressed the "Italian" vampire. She spoke in a low purr.

So it seemed I was correct. He is their leader.

"Inside of course, Diane. We want our guest to be comfortable." He replied smoothly in a rich, easy voice, as if he was discussing a restaurant for a lunch date.

At that response, the three blurred through the front door of the house, Diane dragging Lafayette with her by his chains, and Lafayette sobbing in their wake.

I was stunned at their speed, but I realized I needed to gather my wits, and fast, before the situation got any more out of control. Who knows what they were planning on doing to him.

Gathering all the courage I could muster, I walked steadily to the front door and knocked, praying silently.

Diane opened the door casually, with her arm propped up on the door frame. Just beyond her slender shoulder, I could see Lafayette encased in a series of chains and cuffs that were fastened to the wall.

Instantly, seeing him so close and shackled like a prisoner lit the fury inside me and I exploded.

"Hello, Human." Diane drawled slowly, as if appraising a fine meat.

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing? That's my friend in there! What makes you think you can chain him up like some kind of animal! He is a human being! How dare you? You have to release him! Now I know he's sold some V," and at that comment Lafayette turned his eyes towards me in surprise (obviously noting that he hadn't shared this small detail with me), "but I'm sure you can work something out. You do not need to hurt him."

"Mmm, you do smell delicious." She said, leaning closer to smell me, with a look of pleasure.

That was all that she got out of my speech?

"Do ya'll have anything on your minds other than eatin' and killin'?" I yelled, very angrily.

"Yes, a few." She responded. "You can come join if you like; I wouldn't mind a few sips of you… smells like virgin blood."

Now what in the hell?

At her last line, she opened the door as far as it would go, revealing Malcolm, the other vampire, and the young man whose mind I had read from outside. All three were lounging on a large sectional couch, adjacent to the wall Lafayette was plastered to.

Just when I was about to go to town about what I thought about "joining" them and smelling like "virgin blood," Malcolm blurred next to her, and agreed.

"Diane, always an acute sense of smell… I do believe you are right. Now human, I highly doubt you are in any kind of position of authority to be questioning vampires. But as to your questions, we are perfectly within our rights to punish this human man, for crimes against our kind. He is found guilty and must give recompense… although technically he should go to Eric first. I am well aware that he is human, this fact his has clearly proven, and I do not see how this grants him any mercy, if anything it makes him more worthless in addition to his offenses. As for working something out you say? Well yes, we do indeed have a delicious plan for that, so really no worries."

And after that entire speech, he smiled at me, fangs down.

Damn vampires. I could kill them all.

Still, a number of things bothered me in what he said. Such as….he acted like humans were meat on a stick, and how if the repercussions to them were insignificant. And Eric? As in blonde god Eric? Hmm, could I use some prior knowledge of this beautiful vampire actually in my favor? I do remember thinking that he was in some kind of position of authority over Bill… could he possibly have authority over them also?

My mind was reeling with all the details, and I realized I would have to make a decision soon. It didn't exactly look like they were about to let me leave, after having divulged all this information, and either I pull a fast one or I'd end up on the dinner menu as well. All this and poor Lafayette is still hanging on the wall!

I guess I wasn't going fast enough for them though, because one second I was standing in the door way, and the next second I'm being grabbed by cool hands and shoved down on a chair. Before I knew it I was bound in leather straps. Oh, this was bad.

This was very, very bad. Clearly they didn't want to reason with me, just like I didn't want to participate in their dinner.

I looked at Lafayette sympathetically, and he just stared at the floor. I tried to ignore his thoughts…"why the fuck did Sookie follow them"… "how the fuck did she know about the V"… now my death is gonna be on his fuckin' hands… and so on.

But all this still didn't mean I was going down without a fight.

I may be strapped to a chair, but my mouth is unstrapped.

"You vampires sicken me. Don't you have any sense of remorse or guilt? Is there any shred of humanity left in you?"

That only compelled a light snicker from the bald vampire who had otherwise not spoken a word.

Now I was grasping at straws.

Just as Malcolm was fumbling with some metal components of Lafayette's restraints, Diane, the nameless bald vampire, and the young man were engaging in a really gross threesome make-out session, with some heavy petting.

I guess vampires liked it rough.

They were obviously getting seriously turned on, and I had to force down the urge to vomit for the second time in one day.

Just as Diane's fangs were about to take a plunge into the man's neck, I remembered my ammunition from earlier. Of course! Disloyalty from their human would surely cause some kind of disruption.

"STOP! He has Sino-Aids!"

Diane abruptly halted her hand on his crotch and tightly seized his throat. Her head whipped around to look at me.

"It's in his blood!" I said frantically, as if they didn't already know that.

Then the three of them all looked at the man expectantly.

I sure wouldn't want to be in his shoes at that moment.

And even though they looked like the three most lethal vampires in the world, he had the nerve to glare at them hatefully.

"It's true!" He spat out. "And you have already been feeding from me for days, you motherfuckers should be sick for weeks!"

He was joyous and livid with this thought.

The vampires were not.

At his last statement, a low hiss, more frightening than any wild animal I'd ever heard, came from the three vampires.

"Liam, please escort Jerry to your room." Malcolm ordered to the bald vampire.

"With pleasure," Liam answered in a growl.

I watched Jerry's throat be exchanged from Diane's hand to Liam's, and surprisingly he didn't look that afraid. His thoughts were laced with an intrepid emotion, so perhaps he had been in trouble with them once before.

I didn't have much time to react though, because Diane was on me immediately, straddling my lap.

Apparently she was still turned on from her kissing with the two men, and she went both ways as well.

Disgusting!

Her cool body was pressed up against mine and her strong perfume disgusted me, as if she didn't disgust me enough already.

"What the fuck!" I exclaimed, wriggling uncomfortably, trying to shake her off me.

But she curled around my chair like a leech, and began stroking my neck and breasts through my thin cotton Merlotte's t-shirt.

"I want to thank you for exposing Jerry." She said to me, moving sensuously against me. I could feel the coolness of her exposed mid-drift skin through my clothes.

Now I was going to get raped and/or fed off of by a woman? No. THIS is NOT what I had bargained for. I had come here to save Lafayette, and he was limply hanging from chains, not even attempting to bargain us out of this.

I felt helpless for all of ten seconds, before I realized there is one thing that might still buy me some time and get a reaction.

"I'll tell Eric." I announced loud and clear, to the whole room.

That did get a better reaction than Jerry's Sino-Aids scandal had.

Malcolm zoomed over to me, from whatever he was doing before. He cocked his head at Diane, before looking back at me and asking quickly,

"You know Eric Northman?"

"I do, and he is very fond of me." I answered boldly, hoping that Eric's affection, as strange as it sounded, could possibly be the thing to save us, while praying that they couldn't tell I was lying.

"Eric? Fond of a human? Impossible." Malcolm pondered. While his words were doubtful of me, he looked uncertain.

"Ask him if you like, he also might want to know why you're not going to him first about Lafayette" I said defiantly, deliberately pulling words right from Malcolm's earlier speech.

This seemed to put him back into ticked off mode, though.

"Haha! Northman is just the meager sheriff of Area Five. It's not nearly a large enough territory to put a thorough claim on my nest. I do not answer to that Viking, his threats are empty. Besides, the appropriate penalty can obviously be carried out by other vampires," at this he gestured to Lafayette. As if that was any way appropriate! "And no doubt, Northman would most likely do him far worse. So really, I am doing your friend a favor, human girl."

Uh oh. I hadn't factored in Eric being even worse than the bad guys. I was just assuming that they would be intimidated by him. This plan, like the others, is starting to backfire.

I started to feel real, acute fear trickle into my veins as I realized I have no other plan, no last resort.

Slowly, the depth of the situation was beginning to dawn on me. If I died, Gran would be heartbroken, and Jason... Oh God. Jason would be all on his own in the world, to fend for himself. This is only if they found my body. What if the vampires just left me out here in the middle of nowhere? If I suddenly went missing, Gran and Jason would be worried sick for God knows how long. How could I do this to them?

Sure I was trying to help Lafayette, but I completely disregarded my own life without even giving it a second thought! Oh Lord, I don't want to die. I never really expected to get married, but I did always have a fantasy of having children of my own. And far off in some dreamlike world, I imagined Jason getting married and having his own little ones for me to be an aunt. Now even the possibility is out the window.

Diane had just started fingering her extended fangs and preparing to bite the junction where my shoulder meets my neck, when the most unexpected thing happened...

The front door opened and in walked none of other than Bill Compton.

"Malcolm, what are you doing with Sookie Stackhouse?" He said abruptly, in a bored but still cool tone.

How on earth does he know my last name?

"You know our new human?" Malcolm asked joyfully.

"Your new hu-" I tried to yell out, but Diane put a quick hand over my mouth and shifted slightly to look at Bill.

"Yes."

"Wonderful! Would you like to join us?" Malcolm asked, liked was offering particularly splendid hors d'oeuvres.

"You know I have not participated in nest activities for quite some time. I would like to leave with her." Bill responded icily.

Oh he did, did he? How on earth did he know I was here? Why does he even want me?

At Bill's last comment, Malcolm's expression darkened considerably… like someone was trying to steal his new favorite toy.

"Now Bill, why should we let you do that? We had her first. Let's play by the rules."

"Yes, let us. Aside from my being far superior in ranking to your rogue nest, Sookie is mine."

I'm Bill's? Oh really? This is all new news to the squirming human under Diane's icy body.

Malcolm lifted a dark eyebrow at this, and seemed to become much friendlier.

"Then why didn't you say so in the first place, Bill?" He smiled easily, and then blurred over to Diane and I, hovering over her. "Now Diane, dear, I'm afraid this is not your treat to have."

She gave a small pout and then stood, immediately strutting into a hallway and out of sight.

At her departure Bill casually strolled to my side, unbuckled the leather straps, and pulled me up from the chair by my arm, and said,

"Come along, Sweetheart," and with a wink he added, "Let's get you home."

A/N: Okay, so a lot to process huh? Please try to refrain from making assumptions about what will happen next. I've already told you I'll be writing off the beaten path, but don't assume all of the characters will be built exactly the same way either. Now, tell me what you thought!


	5. Please Read

Hello my lovely readers!

I apologize once again (I seem to be doing this every chapter), for my prolonged updates. I know firsthand how frustrating it can be; especially when you're enjoying the book, which I hope you are!

Although, unfortunately, this is only an update, I do however have some important things to tell you so please read on.

First off, your reading this is paying off because Chapter 5 of IOB WILL be published tonight, AND I have already written Chapter 6, which means that it will also be up either later tonight or tomorrow.

Secondly, it is my everlasting desire that you all know how much your reviews and alerts give me inspiration and encouragement to keep writing; and so, I would like to employ a new angle to those reviews I so lovingly adore. Since your feedback is so important to me, I have a favor to ask of you. If, when writing a review, could you include your favorite line? Whether it is a direct quote, small detail, or something that made you laugh; I am very anxious to know your favorite parts. I will add a small note to remind you in my A/N's now.

Thirdly, this is not so much about IOB but for my readers nonetheless, I have added a new portion to my profile. On the very top, I shall now be updating you on whatever book/s I am currently reading. I figured our shared love of reading should continue into sharing each other's recent discoveries, so who knows, perhaps you will find a new favorite among the ones that I will list. I read every genre as well, so don't be disappointed if the first one doesn't suit you. I may also provide a short description and commentary on the book. Additionally, I'm always available for book-related discussions, so if you have already read or begin reading the book I post, please PM me about it! I have already posted the first one up there, so go check it out!

With all that being said, if you don't remember what's currently going on in IOB, I encourage you to go reread the last chapter and refresh for tonight's update! I guarantee that you will enjoy it. I myself have been more pleased with every chapter that goes by.

Thanks again for all your support and great thanks to my incredible beta!  
>Summer<p> 


	6. Chapter 5

**It's Only Beginning**

A/N: I know it's been forever… I really don't have any other excuse but life!

I know it's a short one, but hopefully they'll be coming out faster now that I can get the Eric/Sookie plot rolling.

Let me know you still care by dropping a review(:

**Chapter 5**

"Well Bill, I have to thank you for coming for me," I spit out gruffly, "but I am not leaving without Lafayette."

I knew my plan of action to save Lafayette in the first place wasn't exactly… planned, but I'll be damned if I let him rot here with these crazy vamps when we both have a way out.

Bill looked down his nose at me as if he didn't like what he saw, and I glared right back. It was a simple request. If he could get me out then he could get Lala too.

I saw the tiniest adjustment of his stony facial features, before he turned to Malcolm to negotiate. Finally!

"Malcolm, is our other human here a consenting participant?" Bill asked very casually.

"I don't see how that is any of your concern." Malcolm replied with a tight-lipped smile, and forced politeness if you asked me.

"Being that I am an investigator of Area 5, I think it is very much my concern. Beside the fact that this type of situation should be going through my sheriff, your nest is only visiting this territory. I don't think this kind of behavior would be considered very good manners of guests." Then he chuckled softly, almost as if he was enjoying a private joke.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't see anything funny about the situation. He needed to hurry up and get Lafayette so we could LEAVE.

"We all know Northman is not the most hospitable of area hosts." Bill finished coolly.

There we go! Some incentive!

Malcolm was starting to look very wary of Bill. I was starting to enjoy his composed way of threatening, but we needed to speed up the process.

"Yes, Eric Northman would be very displeased if he knew you were taking on his responsibilities without the courtesy of having asked his permission." I said to Malcolm. I hoped I was still on track with my vampire politics, one wrong move and I would be back to the blonde-bimbo-clueless-human.

Whatever I said must have worked though; because, Bill snapped his head towards me with a quizzical brow (perhaps wondering where I got that bit of intel), and Malcolm looked quite resigned when he replied,

"Take Lafayette, and give Eric my apologies for not turning him over sooner."

Success! Now we needed to hurry the hell up and get the out of this damn house!

I ran over to Lafayette and unchained him as quickly as I could, while Bill simply stood in the doorway watching. It would have been nice to get a little help!

Lafayette still wasn't quite eloquent in his gratitude… Hump, I practically putting my life on the line for him. He slung an arm around my shoulder and we hobbled our way out.

I was expecting Bill to have some sleek, fast but silent car waiting for us, but there were no other vehicles in the driveway or on the road.

I looked at Bill expectantly.

"So how are we getting back home?"

"You are driving your drug addict friend back to the shifter's bar, where I will retrieve my car." He said, turning away as if to walk off.

"Excuse me? Why do I have to drive back to the bar? How did you get here?"

He walked closer to me and gave me a patronizing stare before speaking.

"Sookie," he began, like I was five years old, "I need you to take this man to the bar, so I can put him in my vehicle and take him to Eric. Then you can drive yourself home, or wherever it is that you are going tonight. As for how I got here, I walked."

I only registered one thing in that whole thing.

"Take him to Eric?" I practically yelled at him. "You can't be serious! Don't you know that Eric will do far worse than what those three would have?" I said frantically, throwing my arms in the air. I slightly lost my balance at that moment, since Lafayette was still leaning on me like a lump. Said "lump" was surely not acting like himself either; he seemed to be mumbling to himself, eyes half closed.

"Of course, I certainly have an accurate idea of what Eric will do. As it is his responsibility to pass judgment and to punish, like you stated earlier."

"I thought we were saying that to get us out of there! I didn't know you would actually TAKE him…" I was getting confused.

Maybe I need to realign who the good guys are in this equation. I still don't even know how Bill knew I was here, and, apparently, he was only here for me. Sure, I was able to get Lala away from the evil threesome (foursome if you include Jerry), but from the looks of it, I wasn't be able to convince Bill to just hand him over to me… especially since Eric needs to bestow his official authority so badly. Fine then. If Lafayette has to go to Eric, then so do I.

Bill was still belittling me with his superior stare, when I straightened up to answer him.

"Alright, I'll drive to the _shifter's_bar, but once we get to Merlotte's, I'm getting in your car and we will ALL go to see Eric... together." I said decidedly.

Then I received my second eyebrow quirk of the night, but no other response.

"I will see you at the bar," he said carelessly over his shoulder, while walking into the shadows.

What? He was planning on walking all the way back to Merlotte's from the middle of nowhere? Yeah right. I was soooo totally gonna get there first.

I shoved the not-so-coherent Lala into my back seat so he could lie down, and revved up my beat-up engine to go.

It didn't take me too long to drive in the direction we came from and locate the highway. From there it was only another ten minutes to the exit to Bon Temps.

We were back to Merlotte's parking lot in no time.

I was struggling to get Lafayette out of the back of my car, when I felt a cold presence very close behind that scared the bejesus out of me.

I turned around in a flash, adrenaline coursing through me, when Bill spoke and I saw that it was only him. My heart started slowing down to a normal rate.

"Need a hand with the addict?" He asked, that creepy glint in his eye.

I was thankful to him, and all, for his randomly saving us, but I still didn't like this guy.

"No thanks, I got him."

After stuffing Lafayette into another backseat, and suffering almost twenty minutes of awkward "Tuvan _throat singing__," as Bill called it, the car ride was finally over._

_We pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia, and cheese and crackers, it was__packed! The groupies just come here by the masses! I could understand how the mysterious allure of a vampire nightclub would be interesting at first, but I couldn't understand the addiction._

_When I moved to get Lafayette, Bill simply shook his head and said,_

_"__T__here is no need for him to be present. After all, you will be the one doing the talking on his behalf."_

_Well,_ _I suppose that's true… so I left Lafayette in the car and walked toward the front doors with Bill._

_It was my first time seeing Fangtasia through my own eyes. I couldn't deny that I was a little excited, but not for the club, it was because I was going to talk to Eric. Maybe that was a bad thing, but at least it would keep me sane in this wild environment. (This line confuses me a little bit.)_

_I was carded by an Asian vampire at the door. It was odd, I had only been carded once before… and it was the only other time I had been to a club… three years ago._

_I was already expecting the_black and red theme, from Dawn's memories, but I didn't realize how intense it would be.

Once inside, I was in a maze of red, loud music, and blurring vampires. They were moving so quickly from place to place that I could hardly see where they went.

It didn't take me long to spot the golden throne with red (_naturally_) upholstery. It sat on a raised platform, with a certain blonde vampire looking very unemotional atop. Eric Northman was wearing an expensive looking black suit, no tie, shirt unbuttoned at the top, and his shiny hair was straight down framing his handsome face.

The moment Bill grabbed my arm and began leading us over towards the throne, Eric's blazing blue eyes clicked over to mine, as if he knew of my presence. Quickly, he shifted over to his left, and began speaking to a very beautiful blonde, female vampire that I hadn't even noticed before. She was sitting in a smaller version of his chair, wearing a very tight, very short black dress with elbow-long black gloves. She had a petite face, with a small nose and mouth, but full red (_of course_) lipstick painted lips.

Once we reached the two blonde vampires, I became self-conscious that I was still wearing my work uniform; everyone else had on such classy attire. I immediately chastised myself for being petty. I was just off of a failed rescue mission, taken hostage, and then rescued for Pete's sake.

"Sookie," Eric said slowly, appraising me with his eyes, "I see you took up my invitation… with Compton no less," he said sarcastically, "what can I do for you tonight?"

"She is here to speak with you about Lafayette Reynolds." Bill answered for me immediately.

I did not appreciate that. I could speak for myself, especially when the question was directed towards me… thank you very much.

After giving him a pointed glare, which he didn't seem to notice, I answered Eric.

"Yes, _I_ need to speak to you about him."

"I do not know of this Lafayette you speak of," he said cavalierly, while leaning back, a hand at his chin.

I took a step forward and was about to give a more detailed account when Bill, yet again (!), interrupted and replied,

"He is the drainer and user who has been tapering off of Eddie Gauthier, the young recluse."

Recognition passed over Eric's face, sparking his eyes. His fangs drew down slightly.

"Have you found this invalid? And I must ask you, Sookie, what part do you play in this illegal vampire activity?"

There was no way I was going to give Bill the chance to interrupt me this time. I spoke quickly.

"Lafayette is a friend of mine; I work with him at Merlotte's. He was abducted by three rogue vampires tonight. I followed them to their nest. They were planning on torturing him, and they took me hostage as well," his fangs distinctly clicked down at that bit of information. I continued, "Bill here got us both out alive," I said unwillingly, wanting to at least acknowledge his role.

"I see there is more to this story." Eric said, rubbing his index finger over his bottom lip. "Do you have any more business for me tonight, Bill?" He asked.

"No sir."

"Then you are dismissed." Eric waved a hand, willing him away.

"Excuse me, sheriff…" Bill implored.

"Get your sorry ass out; before I shed a tear and bleed on my mascara... you are pathetic." The female vampire, who was otherwise uninterested in our exchange, stated frigidly. Her dark blue eyes, looked like deep pools, and I knew I didn't want to mess with her.

I was a little surprised at her tenacity, seeing how she didn't say anything else. It wasn't hard to see her disdain for Bill. He rolled his eyes at her admonishing, and walked away.

"Jävla idioten" Eric said to the woman in some foreign language, chuckling lightly.

I was still trying to figure out what he had spoken when he addressed me again, always saying my name first.

"Sookie, this is my child and my second, Pamela."

She looked at him and did I see a faint blush rise on her cheeks? That would be the only emotion she revealed during the entire conversation) briefly, before turning her eyes back to the crowd with a bored expression. Pam didn't lose the lethal look in her eyes, though.

"It's very nice to meet you." I said, Southern manners shining through.

"Well aren't you sweet," Eric said.

"Not really," I replied quickly, and then bit my tongue. I hadn't meant for that to come out rude.

But he just smirked at me.

Then standing to his full height, which still impressed me, he said,

"Come, sit with me," gesturing to a booth.

Now, I knew I was there to be negotiating the potential freedom of my friend Lafayette, but for some reason, I was having a hard time focusing on that fact. I think Eric had that effect on me.

I smiled lightly, and followed him to the booth, sliding into the opposite side.

_Show time._

**A/N**_**: **_Now the fun really begins! I just loved insulting Bill… I will always hate him. Don't think I have forgotten about Eric's importance in the story. We're about to have a whole lot of fun with him.  
>Swedish translation:<br>_"jävla idioten"  
>"Fucking idiot"<br>_P.S. If anyone knows Swedish or is willing to help me out with perfecting the translations, it would be greatly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 6

**It's Only Beginning**

A/N: Your reviews make my day! A bloody thank you to all my readers, once again.

I think I speak for us all, when I say I wouldn't mind slipping into a booth with a certain Viking…

**Chapter 6**

"_Look at those long fangs… those would feel so good in my neck…_"

"_Should have used more blush on my neck… I heard that turns them on…_"

"_Gosh this place is so creepy… I hope Kate wants to go soon…_"

"_Damn, these vamps really know how to party… never thought when they first came out…_"

"_Maybe if I get her to take me to her house she'll turn me… they always turn the people they have sex with, don't they?..._"

Those were just a few of the thoughts that were swirling around the dark bar and now in my head. As I took inventory of the crowd, I slowly sipped my gin and tonic, and reestablished my mental shields. I tried to think as quickly as possible which was difficult since I was sitting in a booth with Eric Northman… I was going to have to convince, err, persuade him to let my friend Lafayette go scot-free. Apparently, he committed a major offence against vampires, I was starting to think this conversation was going to be a bit more difficult than originally anticipated.

With his hands regally folded on the table in front of him, Eric was trying to read my face like it was an open book. But, I have always taken great pride in a great deal of facial composure, so I knew that was not the case.

"Tell me what happened tonight, Sookie."

Just his voice alone had the tenor of someone who bore so much power and knowledge.

At least he was straightforward.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" I asked him.

"I have until sunrise." He said this with a small smirk.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on how to explain this while making Lafayette look the least guilty. Somehow I sensed that Eric would know if I lied, though.

"It was just a regular night at Merlotte's, until I heard Lafayette screaming and pleading for help from the parking lot-"

"You were in the parking lot when you heard him?"

"Well… no… I was inside, but…"

Oh Lord, I was already slipping up and I had barely begun! Damn!

There's no way I'm telling him that I heard Lafayette's thoughts, God only knows what-

"You were near an employee entrance and were within hearing distance?" He neatly supplied the lie for me.

I forced down a sigh of relief and replied,

"Yes…. Naturally, I ran to him as fast as I could, but the vampires that took him were already driving away."

"Naturally," was his only comment.

"So I got in my car and drove after them. It was a good fifteen minutes before we reached their house at a remote location. I parked in my car back a ways and waited for them to go inside before I went in and tried to save him."

"I assume your _saving_ did not go as planned," he said, prodding me along.

"No, it definitely didn't go as _planned_. There was some small talk," I carefully evaded telling him that I tried to use a connection to him as leverage, "but in the end I became a prisoner too."

"You say you became a prisoner… how so?"

Now he wants the nitty gritty details, oh boy.

"Well… I sorta got strapped to a chair… and…"

Oh hell, how was I supposed to tell him I was practically molested by a disturbing, bisexual female vampire?

"And?" Eric looked intently into my eyes, eyebrows drawn, completely undistracted by the commotion going on around us.

In a rush, I blurted out…. "And a vampire named Diane tried to have sex with me while I was restrained." Whew… Spitting it out seemed easier than rolling over all the details.

Eric's fangs made an audible click and he quickly averted eyes. Suddenly, he seemed very interested in the stripper-looking girl standing near the booth. Humm, she didn't seem like much to me, short brown hair and a small waist, in a mini jean-skirt and halter top. I was just appraising her shoes when Eric recaptured my attention.

"Sookie, did Diane or any of these three rogue vampires harm you?" His face looked very serious, as I contemplated my answer.

Sure, Diane pretty much dry humped me, which was truly repulsive. However, Bill arrived before any real damage was done. I realized I wasn't hurt at all; I was more traumatized than anything, really.

"No, I was fine. Lafayette was the one bleeding and chained to a wall."

Right. _Lafayette_. He's the reason I'm sitting here. I needed to focus and get back to the persuading game plan. But first I needed to finish my story.

"I tried to reason with them, but they were a pretty ruthless bunch and didn't really listen to me. Their human had Sino-Aids…" I absently wondered whatever happened to Jerry. "Bill arrived and helped diffuse the situation before anything else could happen."

"How exactly did he _diffuse _the situation, and then extract two prisoners?"

"He told their leader, Malcolm, something about vampire hierarchy and something else about me being his. I guess they were more willing to talk with another vampire than to a human." I added on the last sentence as an afterthought.

For the first time during our meeting, I saw Eric Northman's face transform very quickly into a genuinely surprised expression, and it vanished just as fast.

"Sookie, do you know what it means for a vampire to say 'you are mine'?" A small smile creeping across his face as he said those words "you are mine."

"Not exactly," I answered, suspecting some deeper meaning here, "but it seemed to help get me free."

"I see." He seemed to have decided something.

I shifted in my seat, and felt a slight chill as the breeze from some quickly strolling vampire moved past our booth. Waiting for him to say something, I finished the last of my gin and tonic.

He looked at my hands holding the glass, and then back at my eyes again.

"I do not think you are here to simply visit and tell me a pretty story."

Well obviously. But I didn't see anything pretty about my story.

Now it's time to negotiate.

"Bill has brought Lafayette to you as a criminal," I hedged.

"He is…. a criminal."

"Okay, well, I've heard that he won't do so well being considered a _criminal_. So, I'm hoping that you could let him off the hook, just this once, with _my word_ that he won't be doin' any more of that nonsense again. I'll keep him in line, I promise."

I said a silent prayer.

After a few distressing moments, Eric chuckled deeply.

I frowned at his condescending nature, and at my pleasure at hearing him laugh. I squared my shoulders and straightened by back.

"Sookie, you are so innocent," he said, smiling at me.

I raised an eyebrow, and tried not to feel like a petulant child as he hinted at my sheer ignorance.

His face slipped back into a more serious stance before he continued.

"You expect me to place my trust in you, based on your trust in Lafayette; a drug addict, drainer, and dealer of V."

Perhaps I had overestimated his regard for me. It is so much easier to convince human men to do things; they take one look at my breasts and we're good to go.

"I am _hoping_ that you would be willing to give him grace this once. I wouldn't let him compromise the chance you have given him."

His eyes turned fond on me for a moment, then back to cold.

"Sookie, this bold gesture for your friend is… kind." He spoke the word kind as if it was a foreign one. "However, I am afraid you don't have the capability of stopping Lafayette from abusing this chance. He may be a good friend to you, but _you_ cannot control him, another human." He said this earnestly, like he knew it to be true.

I looked at my fingernails, letting his words sink in. I reevaluated my tactics.

Just then, a waitress flitted to the table as fast as her short legs could take her.

"Yes master?" She said eagerly.

I hadn't heard him ask her a question. But sheesh, talk about subordination? Eric's employees really aim to please.

"A blood." He responded without looking at her, his eyes never leaving me.

"Yes master."

She began backing away with her head low, but Eric made a hissing sound that startled me as she jumped and looked back up at him. He nodded his head towards me, and the girl immediately recognized her fault.

"So sorry master. Sorry miss. Can I get you anything?" I realized she was slightly shaking now, glancing back at Eric repeatedly.

Jeez. It wasn't that big of a deal.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." I smiled at her, hoping to lighten the mood.

That waitress had a True Blood back to Eric in less than a minute.

I needed to take control of this situation, and this was going to be hard; especially since Eric is the opiteme of control.

He took a sip from his bottle and observed me.

I watched his tongue lick over his bottom lip. My eyes wandered for a second, I had to focus and begin to reason...

"Is there no way that you would let Lafayette go?" I knew this was the clincher.

"Give me something in return." He answered quickly, leaning closer to me on his arms.

"Give you something in return? Give you _what_? Can't you do somethin' without gain once? Do you handle all matters with such selfishness?" My reason was failing me, and quick.

I should probably focus more on not insulting the powerful vampire, but he didn't seem to mind my flare-up, thankfully.

"I have not lived to see over a thousand years by employing selflessness in all matters. I am vampire, Sookie. Selfish is my nature, and selfishness means survival."

I was a bit taken back by his openness. I supposed he did have the right to say that superiorly.

"What do I have to bargain with?" I tried playing his way.

"I can think of many things," he scanned my face, "but I propose for you to work for me. I have recently lost a barmaid, due to her inability to withstand our _selfishness_. This would set Lafayette on a kind of _probation__,_ of sorts."

I forced myself to be polite, and not let my words convey the shocked emotions that I was feeling.

"In case you forgot Eric, we met in the bar _that_ _I work at_. That's a nice… suggestion, but I can't work for you. I work at Merlotte's." I tried to infuse the last sentence with a note of finality.

"Perhaps you would agree to a weekend arrangement? On our slowest nights I can guarantee that you will make more money than you make at Merlotte's in a week. I can even provide transportation, if you need."

This was starting to sound less like an arrangement and more like a contract. And he was a good negotiator. I had to admit that I was hurting for money lately. It wasn't Sam's fault, he paid me as well as he could and I took as many shifts as possible. It was an intriguing offer, but this was all going a little too fast though. I was only trying to keep Lafayette from getting punished… or worse… and now I'm thinking about a second job to seal the good deal? I didn't know what to think.

"Sookie, allow me to give you a temporary release. Take a day to think on my words, and while I am waiting for your answer I will make available the room we have downstairs for Lafayette to stay in. Whatever you decide, he will be here waiting."

I guess this was as good as it was going to get.

"I really appreciate your willingness, and I think I'll take that last offer Eric. Thank you."

"There is nothing to thank me for. I am simply doing business; which I must attend to." He gave a pointed look to Pam, who I didn't even notice was watching us from across the room, and she disappeared into an employee hallway.

"Regretfully," he said, standing, "I cannot chat all night. Bill will take your human friend back to his home. Please, enjoy my bar. If you choose to stay, I should be back within the hour."

He held a strong arm out towards me, and I took his hand to help myself out of the booth.

His skin was cool. I could feel the strength and bands of muscle. Strangely, I didn't want to let go. Realizing this, I quickly released his hand and moved away.

"Where are your restrooms?" I awkwardly asked.

"On my way," he said, recapturing my arm in his.

He led me to the hallway where I had seen Pam, made a quick right and I was looking at a female icon plastered to the doorway.

"Thanks," I said, suddenly shy.

I quickly rushed into the bathroom before he could say anything back to me.

Once inside, my shoulders sagged. Where had the day gone? Never could I have imagined these events when I was getting dressed this morning, I thought, walking to the mirrors. Aside from a few smudges and water marks, the mirrors and the entire bathroom, was relatively clean. Somehow this surprised me. I had assumed the dark theme of the bar would have continued here, but surprisingly, everything was bright white, the tiles, the walls, even the stalls.

I attempted to fix my hair, which resulted in a failed finger-combing and rearranging of my part. I needed to get it cut soon.

Looking down, I noticed a random barstool, sitting oddly underneath the sinks. There was no one else in there, so I thought what the hell, and pulled it out to sit down.

Reflecting on my conversation with Eric, I considered that working at Fangtasia on the weekends was possibly the best offer I could have gotten haggling for Lala's fate. I really enjoyed my job at Merlotte's. Despite a few disrespectful customers, my coworkers were great and so was my boss Sam. On the other hand, I just wasn't making enough money and this was probably my only opportunity to get to it. Still, working for Eric? In a vampire bar? I didn't want to decide this now, and I was thankful that Eric gave me time to think. I needed to talk to Gran and see what she thinks about this situation. She has always been a wonderful soundboard. Thinking of Gran, I needed to tell her a lot of things that happened today!

A pretty woman, with short spiky hair and heavy dark makeup walked in the door. I stood up quickly, not that it really mattered that I was sitting down. She barely glanced at me and went into a stall.

I had plenty more time to deliberate about this. I might as well take Eric's advice and enjoy his bar. I didn't know if I would be coming back to it.

**A/N:** So what was your favorite line in their conversation? Are we pleased with Eric's behavior, or displeased? As always, tell me your thoughts! And don't forget to check out my "Currently Reading" on the top of my profile.


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